Island Lake man sentenced to 9 years in prison in child sex assault case

An Island Lake man was sentenced Friday to nine years in prison for sexually assaulting a child in 2012.

Robert J. Ballarini, 59, of the 600 block of Nantucket Way, pleaded guilty in February to a felony count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child. Under state law, he must serve at least 85% of the prison sentence.

Officers arrested Ballarini in September 2018 as the result of an Island Lake police investigation. Two women disclosed the abuse to a family member, who then took the information to police in July, Police Chief Dan Palmer said at the time.

The assaults are believed to have taken place between May 20, 2012, and May 19, 2016, and between April 23, 2012, and Aug. 4, 2018, according to a six-count criminal complaint filed in McHenry County court.

If the case had gone to trial and Ballarini were convicted of more than one count of predatory criminal sexual assault involving two victims, he would have received a mandatory natural-life prison sentence, prosecutors have said.